Chamber of Commerce officials say March Democratic debate could be a boon for some Phoenix businesses

Democratic debate in March could have benefits for some Valley businesses

Some say the Democratic debate in March, which is scheduled to be held in Phoenix, could bring along some money for some Valley businesses and draw some attention to issues faced by Arizonans.

PHOENIX - Recently, it was announced that a Democratic Presidential Debate will take place in the Valley on March 15, just two days ahead of the state’s Presidential Preference Election.

All the top candidates, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg are expected to be there. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is also expected to be at the debate.

So, what does it mean when the eyes of the political world are on the Valley of the Sun? Officials with the Chamber of Commerce say this is a good thing for the area.

"These are the types of events cities all over the country clamor," said Garrick Taylor with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

Taylor says this kind of event will bring in a huge chunk of change for the local economy, to restaurants and hotels.

According to the Democratic Party, it was all made possible by leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party. They say because Arizona is a battleground state, people all over the country will hear about issues faced by Arizona.

"It is the Super Bowl of Democratic politics," said Taylor. "We are going to have all the candidates here, and with them come other campaign operatives, along with media from all over the nation and the world to cover this. It means a lot of one-time investment, hotels and restaurants. It is good news for operators in that sector of the economy."

Phoenix Democratic Debate Interest Form

https://democrats.org/act/?permalink=phoenix-az-democratic-debate-interest-for

Presidential Preference Election Information

According to the Arizona Secretary of State's website, the Presidential Preference Election is set to take place on March 17, 2020. The voter registration deadline was on February 18, meaning it is now too late to register to vote in the Presidential Preference Election.

Officials with the Secretary of State's Office say only the Democratic Party is taking part in the Presidential Preference Election, and only voters registered as Democrats by February 18 can take part in the election.

Eligible voters can still register to vote in the November 3 General Election. The registration deadline for that election, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's website, is on October 5, 2020.